FIRST ALL-ELECTRIC BUS SERVICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, has officially launched the first fully electric passenger bus in the region in partnership with the Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi (DoT), Abu Dhabi-based bus manufacturer Hafilat Industry LLC, and leading technology company Siemens. The new electric bus will serve a six-stop route between Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi Central Bus Station and Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship sustainable urban community. This electric bus service will be free until the end of March 2019.

The Eco-Bus has been designed to withstand the heat and humidity of the UAE climate, key performance challenges for electric vehicles. Jointly developed by Masdar, Hafilat Industry LLC of Abu Dhabi and Siemens Middle East, it seats 30 passengers and has a range of 150 kilometres per battery charge. Solar panels are also used to power the Eco-Bus’s auxiliary systems. Abu Dhabi’s DoT was heavily involved in the pilot phase of the Eco-Bus, which carried out extensive tests of the vehicle’s technical performance as well as the user experience. Siemens provided the Eco-Bus' traction system, which includes a gearless PEM motor, while Hafilat designed and built the bus. It has a lightweight aluminium body and a unique water-cooling system to optimise battery life and efficiency, even when the outdoor temperature is at its highest. The vehicle also has a highly energy-efficient on-board air-conditioning system. The Eco-Bus will be seamlessly integrated into the DoT’s existing fleet. “The launch of the Eco-Bus is a milestone for the UAE in a number of ways,” said Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director for Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar. “Masdar City has been an incubator of sustainable mobility technologies, including the Personal Rapid Transport system and the Navya Autonom shuttle vehicle.”

Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company and wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, the strategic investment company of the Government of Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City is made up of a rapidly growing clean-tech cluster, business free zone and residential neighborhood with restaurants, shops and public green spaces. Abu Dhabi sees Masdar City is a working model for cities around the world based on the three pillars of environmental, economic and social sustainability.